When Blood Isn't ThickerFamily Reunion Revisited
by JPsmiles
Summary: My version of what happened after the episode "Family Reunion".
1. Chapter 1

Title: When Blood Isn't Thicker (Family Reunion Revisited)

Rating: PG

Author: smiles78

Summary: My version of what happened after the episode "Family Reunion".

Warnings: Spoilers for "Family Reunion".

"Earth to Face...hello...anybody home?" Hannibal asked.

"Huh...what?" Face asked, not hearing anything Hannibal had been saying to him.

Something wrong, Lieutenant?" Hannibal asked, turning around in his seat, cigar perched between his lips.

"Everything is wrong,' Face thought, but shook his head 'no'.

"You ain't been actin' right, Faceman," B.A. said. "Normally we can't get you to shut-up and now you ain't said a word since we left the cabin."

Face sighed and looked out the window. "I'm just tired."

"No, you're just mad that Ellen Bancroft chick blew you off," Frankie joked.

Murdock shot Frankie a look and mouthed the word "don't".

"What? It's the truth...she practically ran out of the room each time Face entered."

Face just sighed again and continued to look out the window.

Hannibal narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "Okay, what gives?"

"Nothing 'gives', Hannibal. I told you...I'm just tired."

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, kid."

Face complied looking irritated. "First of all, I'm not your kid, so stop telling me what to do. You're not my father."

"Oh no," Murdock groaned softly.

"If you had a father, he might have taught you some manners."

All eyes in the van stared at Hannibal in shock that he would say such a thing. "Oh God, Face...I didn't mean that."

"Stop the van." Face said stiffly.

B.A. kept driving, unsure of what to do.

"B.A., I said stop the van. I mean it...I'll jump out if I have to." To prove he was serious, he slid open the door.

B.A. started to pull over. "Geez Face...okay, man...I'll stop the van."

Murdock grabbed Face's shoulder. "Don't run away from this, Face."

Face shook him off and stepped out of the van. "Must be in my blood, right?" He directed the statement at Murdock, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Face..." Hannibal started, but stopped as Face held up his hand.

"Don't," he said, before turning his back and walking away.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: When Blood Isn't Thicker (Family Reunion Revisited)

Rating: PG

Author: smiles78

Summary: My version of what happened after the episode "Family Reunion".

Warnings: Spoilers for "Family Reunion".

Murdock watched Face walk away for a moment and then slammed the van door shut. "What is wrong with you all? You can see the man is upset…why couldn't you just leave him alone? Hannibal...how could you say such a thing to him?"

"It just slipped out. I have to admit that his attitude has been getting under my skin, but that's no excuse..."

Frankie cut Hannibal off. "Listen Johnny, you just snapped. It happens."

"And you, Frankie, you were no better pointing out how Ellen rejected him," Murdock fumed. 'And they don't even know the half of it,' he thought.

"Faceman ain't been himself...and you ain't been either, fool. Something go down that we don't know about?"

"What did he mean by 'must be in my blood'?" Frankie asked. "Face is cool and all...but he sure can be touchy sometimes."

"Let's just say that Face is just going through some heavy stuff right now." That was all Murdock was going to say. He already felt as if he had betrayed Face by not telling him that A.J. was his father before the man passed away; he wasn't about to let his best friend down again.

Face was looking smaller and smaller as they sat in the van watching him walking away.

"Don't look like he's comin' back. What you want to do?" B.A. asked.

"I guess we should give him his space...take us back to Langley." Hannibal mindlessly lit up another cigar. "Damn, I really put my foot in my mouth this time."

Face walked down the road, thumbs hitched in the pockets of his jeans; head hanging down watching the ground move beneath his feet. He wasn't sure where he was going, but it was better than where he had just been.

Three days; it had been three days since Murdock told him that A.J. Bancroft was his father. How could his life have changed so much in just three days?

It had been two days since he stood next to Ellen at their father's grave and she ran away from him in tears. "I can't handle this," she cried. "It's too much." She was right; it was too much. Face wasn't sure if he could handle it either. But he was hoping they could at least try to work it out.

It had been almost twenty-four hours since Ellen pulled him aside before getting in the airport-bound taxi. "It's nothing personal," she said. "I just think it better we go our separate ways...especially considering your circumstances." Face knew what she was getting at. She already had a felon for a father...she didn't want to add a fugitive brother to the mix.

In a matter of days Face had found and lost a father and sister he never even knew existed. Finding his family was a dream he had since childhood. And now he didn't even have his dream to hold onto anymore.

Face didn't know what was worse: losing his family, or losing his dream.

He glanced back at the van which hadn't moved; they were probably waiting for him to turn around and come back. Instead, he started to walk faster and faster until he was running. Face could feel the tears starting to well up in his eyes. He had stopped crying about his family a long time ago in the orphanage, and he didn't want to start now. He ran harder and harder allowing the burning in his lungs and the pounding of his feet to distract him from his thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: When Blood Isn't Thicker (Family Reunion Revisited)

Rating: PG

Author: smiles78

Summary: My version of what happened after the episode "Family Reunion".

Warnings: Spoilers for "Family Reunion".

B.A. worked on his van. It relaxed him; helped him clear his head. Plus he was good with his tools. It was the one area of his life where he had total control.

As B.A. slid himself out from under the van he could see Face in the distance sitting on a rock. He had been staring out at the water for at least an hour. He wasn't used to seeing Faceman sit this still before. He was always wheeling and dealing trying to make the team more money. That, or he was out charming the ladies.

No, B.A. thought, Face seemed different since the Bancroft case. He looked sad. B.A. reached into his toolbox to grab a wrench and was about to roll back under the van when out of the corner of his eye he saw Face put his head into his hands. And then his shoulders began to shake and B.A. saw Face do something he hadn't seen in years…Face cried.

B.A. froze for a second, unsure of what he should do. Should he go over to his friend and see what was wrong? Or should he give the man some privacy and allow him to get it all out of his system? B.A. opted to stay put and continue working on his ride. Faceman wasn't the kind of guy that liked to show his emotions. And B.A. wasn't sure exactly what he would say to him anyway…words weren't exactly his thing.

A short time later, B.A. noticed that Face was sitting up and staring out at the water again. He knew he should go over and check on his friend, but felt uneasy about doing so. Silently cursing himself for being so nervous, he slowly started to approach the Lieutenant. How could it be that fist fights and high speed chases didn't faze him, but now he was breaking out in a cold sweat? When he got a few feet behind Face he cleared his throat so as not to startle him.

"Hey Faceman, you okay?" B.A. asked gently.

Face turned around shaking his head in the affirmative. "Yeah," he said unconvincingly. Realizing that B.A. might have seen his little melt down, he asked, "How much did you see?"

B.A. put his hands in his pockets and simply answered, "Enough."

Face lowered his head avoiding B.A.'s eyes. "You must think I'm such a wimp crying like that."

B.A. knew that this was the moment he had to let Faceman in on a little secret. He walked over to his friend, put his hand on his shoulder reassuringly and replied, "Nah, cryin' don't make you a wimp. Why do you think I spend so much time under my van…it don't need that much work."

B.A. looked down at Face and for the first time that day saw a smile.

"Hannibal's right," Face said as the smile quickly disappeared. "Maybe I would have been a better man if I had a father."

"I don't never want to hear you speakin' like that again Faceman…you hear? And that ain't what Hannibal said."

"Close enough."

"Hannibal's been real upset since you took off earlier. You know he didn't mean what he said."

Face sighed. "I don't know anything anymore, B.A."

"Well I know that you must be tired...why don't you come in the house and rest up some."

"I guess I am kind of tired...I haven't run that far in a long time."

"You ran back?" B.A. chuckled, "I never thought I'd see the day when you'd run without somebody chasing after you."

"Me either," Face said giving B.A. a shadow of his previous smile. "I'm just going to hang here a few more minutes. I'll be in soon."

B.A. nodded and started to walk away, but turned back when Face called, "B.A.?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind not telling the others about this?" Face was mad at himself for finally giving into the tears. It was bad enough that B.A. had seen him crying; he didn't want the other guys to find out as well.

"About what?" he said with a wink and then made his way back to the van.

Face looked back out at the water and ran his hands through his hair. He stood up and spoke to his reflection in the water. "Until a few days ago you didn't know anything about A.J. and Ellen and you were fine. You didn't need them then and you don't need them now. Okay Peck, it's time to do what you know how to do best…forget. Good-bye Richard Bancroft...I wish it didn't have to be this way."

Face picked up a rock and tossed it as far into the water watching his image become distorted in the water. He turned away from the water and didn't look back…he would not look back.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: When Blood Isn't Thicker (Family Reunion Revisited)

Rating: PG

Author: smiles78

Summary: My version of what happened after the episode "Family Reunion".

Warnings: Spoilers for "Family Reunion".

Face splashed the cold water onto his face and then held onto the sink and let his head hang. He watched the drops fall into the sink and disappear down the drain. For a moment he wished he could follow them; wished he could disappear and leave all the craziness behind.

He had been pushing himself nonstop for weeks now; willingly participating in missions that he would normally have complained about. Concocting elaborate, over-the-top scams to obtain items that he could probably have acquired using half the effort. Running countless miles until his legs protested so badly that he physically had no choice but to stop. He would do anything to keep himself busy. The more he had to do, the less time he had to think.

Thinking was bad; thinking hurt too much.

He thought it would be easy to let A.J. and Ellen go. You know what they always say: out of sight-out of mind. Plus, he was a con-man; he could talk anybody into anything. Unfortunately, the curse of being a con-man is that the rules didn't apply to oneself. He could pretend all he wanted, but his mind wasn't buying it.

He wasn't conning the guys either. Hannibal and Murdock were keeping their distance while B.A. was going out of his way to be extra nice. Ironically, finding out about his biological family had messed up the closest thing to a real family he had ever known.

Hannibal wouldn't look him directly in the eye anymore. He also hadn't called him "kid" once since the day Face left them in the van; he was surprised how much he missed it. They never spoke of the incident again, and Face suspected that was the reason for the colonel's discomfort. Even though Hannibal's comment had stung, he wasn't angry. It wasn't Hannibal's fault that Face had been abandoned by his father for the second time. Had it been any other day, the words would have gone in one ear and out the other. That day, however, they went in and hit a nerve.

Murdock still felt guilty about not telling Face sooner and it read all over his face and in his actions. And to make matters worse, Face was starting to feel guilty about Murdock feeling guilty. He told Murdock that he wanted to forget the whole Bancroft mission ever happened, especially their fight. Unfortunately, years of therapy at the VA told the pilot that pushing his feelings away would never work. Deep down Face knew Murdock was probably right, but he was determined to try it anyway. Murdock was spending less time at the house, and Face missed having his best friend around.

B.A.'s behavior was the strangest of all, and perhaps the most unnerving. The big guy hadn't insulted him or threatened his life since he witnessed his little breakdown. When he looked at him, Face saw pity in B.A.'s eyes. If there was one thing Face never wanted, it was for people to feel sorry for him. While it was true that he had it rougher than most over the years, he had known plenty of others who had it even worse. Face considered himself as a survivor and pity was like kryptonite to survivors; it dragged them down and made them stop fighting.

He splashed some more water onto his face hoping it would help wake him up. His limbs felt heavy and his entire body ached from fatigue. He knew he was running on fumes at this point and he wouldn't be able to keep it up for much longer. At night he would try to sleep; he was so tired that he was passing out as soon as his head hit the pillow. But then, without fail, the dreams would start.

Night after night, A.J. and Ellen Bancroft invaded his dreams and made it impossible for him to forget. And that is all he wanted to do...to forget.

The dreams were always the same. They would start with A.J. telling him that "any father would be proud of you," and would end with Ellen running away from him in tears. It was like he was reliving the time spent at the cabin over and over again. It was exhausting and he was exhausted.

Face looked up at his reflection in the mirror and through water-streaked vision saw his father staring back at him.

"Damn you, A.J," he seethed, pulling his arm back and letting his fist fly.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: When Blood Isn't Thicker (Family Reunion Revisited)

Rating: PG

Author: smiles78

Summary: My version of what happened after the episode "Family Reunion".

Warnings: Spoilers for "Family Reunion".

They heard the crash from all the way down in the living room.

"What in the…" Hannibal said as he started to rise from the sofa.

Murdock sensing that Face had something to do with the commotion quickly headed for the stairs. "I'll check it out." He was relieved when the others resumed their previous positions, but nervous about what he was about to encounter.

Murdock pushed the bathroom door open and found Face staring straight ahead at the now broken mirror.

"Face," he said soothingly. "What happened, buddy?"

Face slowly turned his head and quietly said, "I looked in the mirror, and A.J. was staring back at me."

"Face, A.J. is dead."

"I know that; I know it wasn't really him. I'm not losing my mind," he paused, "yet."

Murdock could see that Face was starting to sway slightly and it was then that he noticed the blood dripping from his friends hand onto the tile floor.

"Jesus, Face…your bleeding!" He rushed to grab some towels and carefully wrapped them around his hand. He gently pushed him down so he was sitting on the toilet seat and said, "I knew it was only a matter of time before you cracked, but I didn't think you'd act it out for me."

Murdock was thankful when Face looked up at him with a small grin.

"Let me take a look at the damage." Murdock opened up the bloody towels and started probing Face's hand. "Can you move your fingers?"

Face wiggled his fingers and winced, "Yeah."

"Good, I don't think anything is broken. The cuts look pretty superficial too…guess I don't get to practice my sewing today."

Murdock turned on the faucet and held Face's hand under the cool water to wash out any debris. "Do me a favor. Next time you feel like pounding on something…try a pillow instead."

Face groaned as the water assaulted his open wounds.

"I'll take that as a yes." Murdock turned off the water and wrapped some bandages tightly around Face's hand. "You doing okay?" he asked taking note of the glazed look in his patient's eyes.

"My father didn't want me in his life…why won't he leave me alone in his death?" he choked out in frightened child-like voice.

"I don't know, Facey," Murdock said. He knew, of course, that the reason why Face couldn't move on was that he refused to let himself grieve. Grieve for the family he should have had; the family he _could_ have had if A.J. were still here and if Ellen would have only given him a chance.

But now wasn't the time for lectures; Face was hurt and worn out, but he wasn't ready to let go yet.

"I'm so tired, Murdock," Face moaned sleepily.

"C'mon, Muchacho. Let's get you into your bed." He reached into the medicine cabinet and took two small pills out of a container. "Here…take these first."

Normally Face would have objected the painkillers, but now he just didn't have the energy. He swallowed the pills and accepted Murdock's help getting up and walking toward his bedroom. Face allowed the sleep to take him before Murdock even had a chance to leave the room.

"Sleep tight, Face," he said turning out the light and heading back to join the others.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: When Blood Isn't Thicker (Family Reunion Revisited)

Rating: PG

Author: smiles78

Summary: My version of what happened after the episode "Family Reunion".

Warnings: Spoilers for "Family Reunion".

Face was the last to enter the kitchen for breakfast the next morning uncharacteristically donning a pair of sweats. His hand had stiffened and swelled considerably over night making it virtually impossible for him to wear anything else, not that he hadn't tried.

"Looks like somebody has seven years bad luck coming to him," Frankie said making note of the white bandage on Face's right hand which stood out in sharp contrast with his navy blue sweatshirt.

Face pulled out a chair with his good hand and sat down. "Multiply those seven years by five and it about sums up my life."

"Hey Frankie," Murdock said. "Open your mouth."

Frankie looked at him quizzically.

"Now insert your foot."

B.A. giggled as Frankie scowled and stuck out his tongue.

Hannibal cleared his throat and put a cup of coffee down in front of Face. "Any reason you're throwing yourself a pity party this morning, Lieutenant?"

'Lots of reasons,' he thought, but shrugged his shoulders instead.

"What's been eating at you, Face? You haven't been yourself for weeks now."

"Please, Hannibal…not now. I'm not feeling so great and my hand really hurts."

"I can imagine it would," Hannibal retorted. "It wasn't very smart having a fist fight with a mirror."

Face looked up at Hannibal. "Guess if I had a father he would have taught me that as well." There was no anger behind the words, just sadness with a touch of sarcasm.

"I never did apologize for that, did I?"

Face waved him off. "No need." He forced a laugh, "Hey, it's a good thing I didn't have one. Having a son who's a con-man isn't exactly something a man would be proud of, is it?"

"Thought I told you not to be talkin' bad about yourself anymore, Faceman," B.A. said.

Frankie could tell that the guys needed some time alone. "Face is wearing sweats, B.A.'s being nice to Face and Murdock is barely talking. Man, things are getting a bit too weird for me. I think I'll go mess with an Able or something."

Though they did their best to include him, Frankie knew he was still an outsider. Fifteen years together was a long time and the bond they formed wasn't something that could easily be penetrated.

Hannibal gave Frankie a grateful grin and waited for him to leave the room before continuing. "Face, any father would be proud of you."

Face's eyes grew wide and all the color drained from his face as Hannibal spoke the very words A.J. had told him before dying and that had been haunting his dreams ever since. The room suddenly felt unbearably hot and he broke out into an instant sweat. He cupped his hands over his mouth and bolted for the bathroom as he felt the bile rising into his throat.

"Was it something I said?" Hannibal asked out loud to nobody in particular. "I really seem to have a way with words lately."

Face emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later looking drained and visibly shaking. "I need to get some air," he announced absentmindedly and exited out the side door.

"What's goin' on with the Faceman?" B.A. asked. "He actin' crazier than the fool lately."

"Nobody is crazier than me, big guy," Murdock said, eyes still focused on the door Face had just fled from. "He'll be alright…he just needs some time to work through some stuff."

"Yeah, I can see that. But what "stuff" are we talkin' about?"

Hannibal stood with a determined look on his face. "That is exactly what I'm about to find out."


	7. Chapter 7

Title: When Blood Isn't Thicker (Family Reunion Revisited)

Rating: PG

Author: smiles78

Summary: My version of what happened after the episode "Family Reunion".

Warnings: Spoilers for "Family Reunion".

The three men approached Face who was once again sitting on a big rock staring out at the water. His back straightened as he heard the approaching footsteps, but he made no move to acknowledge them. The team remained still and quiet, each unsure what to do next.

It was Face who finally broke the silence. "Any father would be proud of you…that was one of the last things he said to me," he said not breaking his eye-hold with the water.

"One of the last things _who_ said to you, Face?" Hannibal asked.

"A.J. Bancroft," he answered. Then turning around to look at his friends behind him, he added, "my father."

"Your father!" B.A. exclaimed in shock.

Face nodded his head and then turned back to the water.

"You want to fill them in on the details, Murdock? You kept it from them even longer than you kept it from me." Face dropped his head, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to come out like that."

"S'okay, Muchacho. It's about time you stopped holding back your feelings."

Murdock told Hannibal and B.A. the whole story of how A.J. left Face, or Richard as he was named, and his mother early on. Not ready for the commitment of fatherhood or marriage he took off looking for a new life. Once he established a career and was financially stable, he went back to look for his son, but could not find him. He eventually remarried and had Ellen who, as they were well aware of, he had also abandoned. Murdock found out about A.J. being Face's father when he dropped a picture of Face wearing his high school football uniform. A.J. begged Murdock not to tell Face; he told him that he was dying and to consider it a last request.

"Unfortunately, A.J. died before telling Face the truth," Murdock concluded. "And I'll never forgive myself for not saying something sooner."

"Murdock, there's nothing to forgive," Face said. "It's not your fault that he left me," Face coughed to cover up his cracking voice, "again."

Hannibal felt as if he had been punched in the gut. He wondered how Face had managed to function as well as he had up until this point. He walked over and stood in front of Face. Looking him in the eyes he put his hands on his shoulders and said, "I'm sorry, kid."

Face swallowed hard trying to clear the lump in his throat. "You called me 'kid' again," he said.

"Old habits die hard."

"That's one habit you don't have to break," Face said.

B.A. stepped forward nervously and said, "I'm sorry, too, Face."

Face began feeling uncomfortable with all the attention he was getting. He slid himself off the rock and rubbed his good hand over his eyes. "I know I've been a real pain in the you-know-what lately. It's just…I'm just…"

Feeling the rage inside him building, he balled his hand into a fist and started to pace. He could feel his heart beating faster and he started breathing harder."

"C'mon, kid…let it out," Hannibal encouraged.

Face stopped pacing and put his hand out to lean against a tree trying to catch his breath.

"Let us help you, Face…let us in."

"I'm pissed off, okay!" Face exploded. "He waited 35 damned years to come look for me. And for what? I was sitting in the same room with the man…my father…and he says nothing!"

Face started pacing again. "And then, as if my father dying right under my nose wasn't enough to rip my heart out, my sister basically tells me to get lost."

Face stopped pacing yet again and looked up at the sky. "What did I do to disserve this, huh? Losing a family once wasn't enough? Being on the run for 15 years for something we didn't do wasn't enough? Being tortured in the camps wasn't enough? Growing up in an orphanage where I was passed over time and time again wasn't enough? All I ever wanted was to be happy…is that too much to ask for?"

Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. stood in stunned silence watching Face finally letting go of years of pent up frustration and anger. He looked down at his white-knuckled fist; he wanted to hit something…anything. The nearest target: a tree.

B.A. recognized what was about to happen and jumped forward grabbing Face's arm as he pulled it back for the strike. "Sorry, lil' brother. I can't let you bust up your other hand too."

B.A. felt Face trying to pull away from him, so he held on even tighter. He spun him around and pulled him into a bear hug. "I ain't gonna let you hurt yourself no more."

Feeling B.A. arms around him, Face collapsed into the embrace. Hannibal and Murdock came over and each put a hand on Face's back as a show of support.

After a few moments Face lifted his head and softly said, "Um B.A., I think I'm rusting your gold."

B.A. lowered the exhausted Face to a seated position on the ground. He hugged his knees into himself and said, "sorry about that."

The others sat down next to Face. Murdock patted him on the knee and said, "Don't be sorry. Compared to some of my therapy sessions, that was nothing."

Hannibal pulled out a cigar and rolled it back and forth between his fingers. "I never got to finish my statement back in the house…you know, before I made you sick."

Face blushed in embarrassment. "You can't take all the credit for that, Colonel. You know how well pain meds and I get along."

"What I wanted to say was that any father would be proud of you, and if I were your father I would have felt blessed and honored." Hannibal lit his cigar, but before putting it into his mouth he added, "Maybe I'm being selfish, but I think that A.J. Bancroft's loss all those years ago was in a way my gain."

"Thanks…that means a lot." Face said hugging his knees in even tighter.

Hannibal smiled widely and said, "Remember guys, we may not have it all together, but together we have it all."

There was a collective grown from the rest of the team.

"Oh Hannibal…you didn't!" B.A. said shaking his head.

"I'd almost rather you had said 'I love it when a plan comes together'" Murdock added.

As for Face, he looked out at the water again; this time with a smile.

Face could hear the voices of his friends around him but they started to sound muffled. The colors before him began to blend and swirl until Face could no longer remain upright.

Hannibal saw Face begin to sway and moved behind him just in time to catch him as he fell to the side.

Face's eyes rolled back in his head but not before hearing Hannibal whisper tenderly, "I gotcha, son."

TBC…one chapter to go.


	8. Chapter 8

Warning: Sap alert ahead!

Hannibal carried Face back into the house and laid him gently down on the couch. Murdock grabbed a pillow and some blankets while B.A. a basin of cold water and a towel. They had been together for so many years and weathered many illnesses and injuries together that no words were needed.

After a heart rate and blood pressure check, Hannibal was satisfied that Face had most likely passed out from physical and emotional exhaustion.

"C'mon, fool," B.A. nudged Murdock, "the colonel can take care of the Faceman."

Hannibal smiled appreciatively. He was hoping to spend some time alone with Face when he came back around. He had his chance less than an hour later when Face began to shift and moan.

Hannibal placed a new damp cloth onto his forehead and said, "It's okay, kid. Everything is going to be just fine, son."

Face's eyes fluttered open.

"How're you feeling?"

"Fine," Face croaked weakly.

Hannibal rolled his eyes at Face's standard answer, but before he could chastise the younger man he spoke again.

"You…you said it again."

Hannibal looked confused. "Said what again?"

"Son…you called me son." Face paled and his voice shook as he asked, "Do you…um…do you really mean it?"

Hannibal nodded and reached out and took Face's good hand into his own. "I've considered you to be my son since Nam…I just wish it didn't take something like this for me to say something."

Tears gleamed in Face's eyes. He wanted to tell Hannibal that he felt the same way, but when he opened his mouth a sob escaped instead. Humiliated, he turned his head away and tried to get his emotions under control.

Hannibal froze for a moment worried he jumped the gun too quickly after Face learning the truth about his biological father. "Face…I…um…if I said something to upset you…if it's too soon…or too much…"

"No," Face quickly interrupted wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. "It…it's too…too good to be true."

Hannibal pulled Face into a hug and felt his own eyes misting up. But then he saw Murdock giving him a thumbs-up sign from where he stood spying outside the door and an annoyed looking B.A. trying to pull him away. Hannibal smiled at the antics and then turned his attention back to the man in his arms.

Face, on the other hand, was oblivious to his surroundings. All he knew was that he felt safe and loved. He had always heard the phrase "blood is thicker than water". Maybe this was true for most people, but not for Templeton Peck; in his case the blood couldn't possibly have run any thinner.

Luckily, he had the team…his real family…to slow the stream and keep him afloat.

The End


End file.
